JP5226240B2 - Apparatus and method for searching media content using metadata - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a media content search apparatus and method using media content metadata, and more particularly, to the media content stored in a device using the media content metadata being executed. The present invention relates to a media content search apparatus and method for effectively searching.

  Recently, the amount of media content that can be stored in a digital device is rapidly increasing as the capacity of the digital storage device is increased. As digital storage devices, not only hard disks but also flash memories, etc., progress has been made not only in increasing the storage capacity but also in miniaturization, and also applicable to MP3 players, PMPs (portable multimedia players), and home DVRs (digital video recorders). Has been.

  Also, with the development of media content compression technology, it has become possible to compress and store more information than can be stored in the past. However, although portable MP3 players and PMPs can store music files of tens of thousands of songs, there has been troublesome methods for searching for music and media contents that the user is looking for.

First, we will look at the media content search method of the prior art.
When media content is input to a device, basic metadata is generally input together. Basic metadata is simply an ID3 tag that contains information such as the title, composer, singer name, and genre that is added to the MP3 file based on the file name, file size, file generation date, and the Exif tag that is added to the JPEG file. Data indicating information related to media content.

  In the conventional media content search, the title and singer's name are mainly input in characters (text), a list arranged in alphabetical order / eye way is displayed, and voice is spoken to search internal metadata. Sometimes the user created folders or playlists as needed, and played media content stored on the device.

  In this way, the basic metadata of media content was used to classify and search according to a certain method. For example, in the case of music files, it is classified by singer and album based on the metadata inside the music file, and the singer's name is listed in order of Iueo or Akasatana ... or the album's name is the title of the album Classified by.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a media content search apparatus according to the prior art.
When normal media content is stored in a multimedia device such as an MP3 player, metadata 102 corresponding to the media content is also stored. In general, the search engine 104 is applied to search for media content, and the search engine 104 uses the metadata of the media content to search without searching for the entire media content. Content to be searched.

  For example, when the media content to be searched corresponds to music, it is common to search for music by inputting the title, composer, singer, lyrics, etc. of the music that the user wants to search for in text information (text).

  FIG. 1 shows a result 106 output to the output unit when searching for music by the title of a song (for example, Love). The user can select and enjoy the music he / she wants to listen to from the output list.

  By the way, such a classification method can be easily applied when the number of media contents is small, but when the number of contents corresponds to thousands or tens of thousands, the desired contents are selected. Becomes difficult. Moreover, it becomes even more difficult because most portable or home media devices have limited input devices such as simple buttons and remote controls that are not keyboards or mice. As described above, there is a problem that the user has to know the general information of the media content such as the title of the media content to be searched for, the composer, and the producer.

Also, from the standpoint of a conventional user, there is a tendency to listen to or see content related to the media content that the user is currently listening to or watching. For example, a general user may be interested in listening to music and wanting to listen to other songs of the singer who sang this song and what kind of singer sang the currently running music.
In this way, you may want to hear other songs made by the songwriter of the song you are currently listening to, or want to hear songs that were popular in the era when the current song was made. Therefore, users tend to look for related media contents effectively from a large number of media contents, centering on the media contents that they are watching or listening to. It was difficult to search effectively by outputting the content in an enumerated format.
US Pat. No. 6,760,721

  The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and an apparatus for effectively searching for media content stored in a device by using metadata of the media content being executed, and It aims to provide a method.

  The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned and other objects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

  In order to achieve the above object, a media content search apparatus using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a media playback unit for executing media content, and metadata added to the media content being executed. A root category generation unit that generates at least one root category based on the metadata, and a subcategory generation unit that generates a subcategory of a category selected by the user from the at least one root category based on the metadata. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a dynamic category display apparatus using metadata of media content according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a category generation unit that generates a category based on metadata added to media content, and An output unit that outputs the generated category as a GUI image around the media content being executed or the category selected by the user is included.

  In order to achieve the above object, a media content search method using metadata of media content according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: (a) executing media content; and (b) executing the media content in progress. Generating at least one or more root categories based on the added metadata; and (c) generating subcategories of a category selected by the user from the at least one or more root categories based on the metadata. Including the steps of:

  According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described object, a user-defined media content search method includes: (a) a metadata item is selected to search for media content based on metadata added to the media content; (B) specifying a search order for the selected metadata item, and (c) searching for media content according to the search order of the specified metadata item.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described object, a continuous search method for media content using media content metadata includes: (a) storing a media content search method using metadata; and And (b) searching for subsequent media content by the stored media content search method after the execution of the media content being executed is completed.

Specific matters of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.
Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be embodied in various forms different from each other. It is provided to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention and is defined only by the scope of the claims.
Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

  According to the media content searching apparatus and method using the metadata of the present invention as described above, there is one or more of the following effects.

Initially, media content associated with a running media content can be easily searched by utilizing metadata for the running media content.
Second, a wide variety of media contents can be quickly searched for by the user by generating dynamic categories using not only basic metadata but also additional metadata.
Third, by selecting a metadata item to be used for searching and assigning a rank, a user can provide a media content searching method or route for each person.
Fourth, a search method using the user's metadata can be used to search for subsequent media content to allow continuous search and playback.

  The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the claims.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a media content search apparatus using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a music file search apparatus using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the mechanism performed.

  An apparatus for searching media content using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a metadata storage unit 202, a media file playback unit 204, a root category generation unit 206, a subcategory generation unit 208, and an output unit 210. And an input unit 212.

  The media playback unit 204 plays a role of playing back media having various media information corresponding to media content. For example, the media playback unit is not only a part that plays media content on a CD (compact disc) player, an MP3 player, an MD (mini disc) player, a PMP, an MP3 player built in a mobile phone, etc. Includes a part for reproducing media by a media reproduction program implemented in software through a computer. Furthermore, a playback unit that plays media content by mounting a large-capacity medium in the next generation may be included.

  In general, media content refers to multimedia made up of components such as moving images, images, text, sound, and sound for commercial purposes, information provision, and publicity purposes. Also in the present invention, the media content includes components such as moving images and music corresponding to the contents of the corresponding media.

  The metadata storage unit 202 serves to store metadata for the media content file. Such metadata generally refers to data that is added according to certain rules for effective search from a large amount of information that the data has, and is media-specific information, user ranking and usage information (Eg, popularity ranking). Therefore, media content can be classified by metadata, and such classification facilitates search and search. Therefore, according to the present invention, a storage unit for storing metadata is included in order to effectively search for media content desired by the user.

  Generally, a storage unit is a place where data is stored in an electromagnetic form so that a device using stored information can be accessed, and stores data stored in various internal devices such as a RAM (RAM). In addition, a hard disk, a tape, and a device for storing data stored in an external device are also applicable.

  In the present invention, the metadata storage unit 202 is used to read metadata for media content from the metadata storage unit 202 and generate a dynamic category necessary for searching for the media content desired by the user.

  The root category generation unit 206 serves to generate a root category based on the metadata of the media content being executed. The running media content can have metadata for it along with the raw data of the media content. However, such metadata can be input to the device together with the media content. Depending on the device, the metadata can be acquired via a wired or wireless network when the media content is input.

  Since such metadata is generally added according to a certain rule for effective retrieval from a large amount of information included in the data, media contents can be classified by metadata. Accordingly, it is possible to select a category corresponding to a higher rank from various metadata, which is highly related to the media content being executed, has a large amount of content, or has a user's search preference. In this way, the root category is generated using the metadata of the media content being executed.

  By looking at the generated root category, the user can select one of the generated categories to selectively extract contents within the range of the selected root category related to the media content being executed. it can. Thus, when searching for other media content related to the currently executing media content, a root category is generated through the metadata of the corresponding media content.

  As an example, let's say that the media content being executed corresponds to the music called “Oh no Iwa” 320 by singer Kim Hyun-jung, as shown in FIG.

  It is possible that the user does not have any information about the song “It hurts”. Even so, the root category generation unit searches the metadata for the song being executed and generates at least one root category 302 associated with the song. The classification corresponding to the root category 302 is not always determined to be the same depending on the type of content (for example, music), but depends on the importance of the metadata of the corresponding content, the degree of relevance to the corresponding content, or from the metadata item. You can also choose at random. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a genre, a theme, an atmosphere, a remake version, a singer, the same age, etc. may be generated as the root category 302 for the current song. Such a root category 302 may be determined relatively because it varies depending on metadata of the current song, and the categories such as genre, subject, atmosphere, and remake version correspond to an example.

  The sub-category generation unit 208 serves to generate a new sub-category around the selected category when one of the root categories is selected by a user input after at least one root category is generated. . The subcategory generation unit 208 has the same mechanism as the root category generation unit 206 for generating a category based on the metadata of the media content being executed. However, in order to generate a subcategory, the root category is input by the user by the user, Requires a process to choose. That is, after the user selects a root category, the subcategory generation unit 208 generates a subcategory based on the metadata of the media content that is being executed centering on the selected root category.

  In general, since the subcategory is within the category of the root category of the currently reproduced song, it is preferable to generate the subcategory in consideration of the root category. For example, if the media content is music and “genre” is selected as the root category, the subcategory is the same genre, other genre, or other genre as the currently playing song (ballad, rock, metal, blues, new If you select “Singer” in the root category, the sub-category is the same singer song, the same singer's same album, the same singer's past album, the latest singer's latest It can be a song, the latest album from the same singer, a singer similar to the song being played, a popular song from the same singer, and so on.

  That is, as described above, after selecting the root category, the subcategory of the selected category can be generated by referring to the metadata of the media content currently being executed. However, the items of the above-described subcategory must be media-specific metadata and external metadata such as external ranking information included in the media content owned by the user's device, and are not included in the user's device. Metadata for content cannot be a category item.

  For example, suppose that the user selects the root category 302 “singer” after various categories are generated as root categories for the song (painful) being executed as illustrated in FIG. 3 described above. When the category “singer” 340 is selected, the subcategory generation unit 208 searches the metadata for the common part of the song being executed and the singer and generates a highly related subcategory 306. That is, it is possible to generate a sub-category 306 such as a recent album corresponding to a singer who sang a song being executed, the same album, a past album, a hit song, or a similar singer. However, the category to be generated is determined by the metadata corresponding to the media content file, and even if the metadata corresponds to the same type of music file, the same category is not generated.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the user selects the menu “singer” 340 and then selects the category “hit song” 360 as a subcategory, the corresponding singer who sang the currently executed song (current song). It becomes the range of hit songs. Therefore, a sub-sub category 308 is generated from the range including all of the current song, singer, and hit song according to the metadata of the current song.

  In this example, if the user wants to listen to another song sung by the singer of the song while listening to the song “Oh, I know the name of the singer or the title of the song. Even without it, it is possible to easily access the hit song of the singer who sang the current song by utilizing the metadata of the current song. The user can select a song he wants to hear from a list of hit songs, or sub-category 308 as illustrated in FIG. 3 for a more detailed search, for example, the same album, another album, etc. From the hit songs of the singer who sang the song, other songs released on the same album or other albums can be searched in more detail.

  Thus, in principle, the user can search the media content by generating up to the N-th sub-category according to the present invention that generates the dynamic category according to the metadata of the media content.

  The metadata of the corresponding media content can be constructed as a database for the search. That is, a database field or table can be configured using basic metadata based on basic information such as tag information of media content, classification related information metadata, and related social information metadata as additional metadata.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the output unit 210 can display a list of media content to search, a category to be generated, or a media file to be executed.

  The output unit is a general CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), ECD (ElectroChrome Display, etc.) It includes a display unit that is produced for information transmission and that visually outputs data to be transmitted to the screen.

  The output unit 210 basically shows information on the content of the media content in the execution of the media content, but in the present invention, it is possible to show a list of media content included in the category generated in the search for the media content. However, when it is applied to music files, etc., it can be carried out without an output unit. Therefore, when a user selects a certain category without an output unit, the song with the highest degree of relevance is given priority. It is possible to execute or select at random from the list in the selected category range and execute it. In addition, when searching for music files and the like, if a category is selected and a list of related songs is listed in the output unit 210, it is easy for the user to see and select the listed list for the convenience of the user. May include an output.

  In this way, the category structure generated by the category generation unit (206, 208) can be output as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) image by the output unit 210 by a certain method. Since this is included in the content to be described later, it will be described in detail with a dynamic category display device using media content metadata.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the input unit 212 plays a role of receiving a selection input for a category from the media content search apparatus. For example, a direction key, a touch pad, etc. can be used as a simple selection key in an MP3 player, PMP, etc., and a touch pad, a numeric key, a character key, etc. can be used in a PDA device, etc. It can be a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc.

  Also, it can be used to select a category by receiving a user's voice input by voice recognition or by receiving a user's movement input by motion recognition.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, at least one route category is generated by the route category generation unit 206. When the user wants to select one of the at least one or more root categories, one menu is selected from the menus specified by the input unit 212 or listed by the output unit 210. That is, one category can be selected by the input unit 212. As described above, even for the subcategory generated by the subcategory generation unit 208, one of the at least one subcategory can be selected by the input unit 212.

  Further, not only the category selection but also the media content to be executed from the search list can be executed or added to the play list by the input unit 212 in the media content search process.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating metadata of media content according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The metadata 410 added for efficient content search from a large amount of media content can be divided into basic metadata 402 and additional metadata 404 as shown in FIG.

  The basic metadata 402 refers to a storage of basic information about media content. For example, in the case of a music file, the basic metadata 402 includes a song title, file size, song length, singer, composer, producer, It can be the title of an album. The basic metadata 402 has already been determined at the time of production of the media content, and the format for the basic metadata 402 is generally the same for the same type of media content.

  The additional metadata 404 can include media content related information data 406 and media content related social information data 408. In general, media content related information includes metadata used for classifying media content in addition to basic content information.

  And social information related to media content is gained social popularity after media content is known to the general public by the release and popular media, etc., or is included in the release ranking and popularity ranking for a certain period, or personal play Information that stores social information about the media content as metadata, such as being stored in a list.

  For example, when the media content corresponds to music, the additional metadata 404 may include song related information and song related social information. As song-related information, in addition to basic information on songs, the genre, atmosphere, album type, subject, release year, etc. used for music classification can be used. Music-related social information refers to information received from the outside. For example, hit songs, popular songs, popularity ranking, hit year, popular year, download count, recent execution date, user execution count, similar singer, personal play It can be a list.

  The metadata 410 may change even after the media content is provided to the user, and social information of the media content may be added as time passes. Therefore, the subsequent metadata 410 is updated. There is a need. In most cases, the basic metadata matches the first basic metadata 402. However, there is a possibility that the basic metadata needs to be updated in correction of incorrect notation. At the same time, in the additional metadata 404, the related social information metadata 408 having social information in particular is updated due to changes in popular songs, hit songs, etc. with the trend of the times, and the reason that personal playlists are frequently changed. There may be a need.

  Therefore, as a method for updating the metadata, it is possible to update the material whose metadata has been changed based on a wired or wireless network. In addition, even if there is no metadata in the media content playback device in use, when a user tries to search for media content, the user approaches the wired or wireless network and uses the metadata or updates the changed metadata. it can.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a root category generated around the media content being executed in the dynamic category display device using the media content metadata according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

  A dynamic category display apparatus using metadata of media content according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a category generation unit and an output unit that outputs as a GUI image.

  The category generation unit includes a route category generation unit 206 or a subcategory generation unit 208 illustrated in FIG. The root category generation unit 206 generates a root category using metadata centering on the media content being executed.

  The sub-category generation unit 208 generates a sub-category based on the metadata of the media content being executed around the selected category when one of the root categories is selected by user input after the root category is generated. . That is, the category is generated by the category generation unit with the media content being executed and the selected category as the center.

  However, the output unit 210 serves to graphically represent various materials for the categories generated by the category generation unit, or to display and output them as an image. For example, FIG. 5 shows an output unit 210 that outputs a dynamic category when the media content is a musician.

  The output unit 210 shows the root category generated by the metadata of the corresponding music centering on the music being executed. It can be displayed that the larger the size (502, 504) of the displayed category is, the more music is in the category of the category, and a connection line (edge, 506, 508) representing the connection of the categories. The darker it can mean that the user has selected the category frequently or many times. At the same time, depending on the thickness of the category line, it can be displayed that the number of music in the corresponding category range is large and small.

  The number of music belonging to the corresponding category can be obtained by searching the metadata, and the user's category search frequency is updated on the additional metadata or the total user search frequency is passed through a wired or wireless network It can be obtained by updating the additional metadata.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the GUI displayed with nodes and connection lines corresponds to an embodiment. As described above, as the number of songs belonging to a category increases, the GUI is displayed first in the menu configuration or different colors. Differentiating strategies can also be applied. For example, in the GUI of the output unit in FIG. 5, there is a relatively large amount of music corresponding to the subject, genre, and atmosphere related to the current song by the metadata of the song that is being executed (painful 520), and the user focuses on the current song As a singer, it shows that the category corresponding to the hit song of that era is relatively frequently selected. At the same time, when the user selects a root category, the sub-category is graphically displayed or imaged around the selected root category and output to the output unit 210.

  As described above, the user visually categorizes the content centered on the media content being executed, and easily recognizes the amount of content and the search frequency for each category. Search by referring to classification by data.

  On the other hand, the term “˜part” used in the embodiment of the present invention as described above, that is, “˜module”, “˜table”, etc., is software, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or custom-made semiconductor ( A hardware component such as Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a module performs a certain function. However, it does not mean that the module is limited to software or hardware.

  The module can be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium or can be configured to play one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a module can be a component such as a software component, an object-oriented software component, a class component and a task component, a process, a function, an attribute, a procedurer, a subroutine, a segment of program code, a driver, Includes elements for firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

  The functionality provided in the components and modules can be combined into a smaller number of components and modules or further separated as additional components and modules. In addition, the components and modules may be implemented to replay one or more CPUs in the device.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a media content search method using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, a media content is executed by the media playback unit (S602). The media content being executed can be executed by user selection from a list retrieved by execution by random selection by the user or by searching for media content by the method according to the present invention.

  After the step of reproducing the media content (S602), a step of generating a root category based on metadata included in the media content (S604) is performed. After the root category is generated, the user can select one of the root categories (S608). When a certain category is selected from the root categories, a step of generating a subcategory included in the selected category and based on the metadata of the media content being executed is performed (S612).

  However, when the user selects a media that exists in the search list after the root category is generated, the media content is played or included in the user's playlist (S616). In addition, when the user selects a category, a list of media contents belonging to the selected category may be output and displayed (S610).

  When the subcategory is generated, the subcategory is listed around the root category selected by the user. The user selects one of the subcategories to generate a sub-subcategory based on the metadata of the media content included in the corresponding category and executed. Up to the N-th subcategory can be generated in this manner.

  However, category generation is stopped when there is no more category based on metadata or there is no media content belonging to the category. In addition, even if there is a subcategory, when selecting media content from the list of media content in the category selected by the user, the selected media content is executed or saved in the playlist, and the media utilizing the metadata The content search ends.

  For example, let's assume that the media content corresponds to a music file, and that the currently running music is playing the song “Oh,” (singer Kim Hyun-jung). In the case where the song “Pain” is executed, a root category is generated based on the metadata of the song. Therefore, a genre, a theme, an atmosphere, a remake version, a singer, a contemporaneous, etc. are generated as the root category.

  Thereafter, when the user selects one of the root categories, a sub-category is generated from the metadata of the music being executed from the range of the selected category of the music being executed. Therefore, the user sees a list of contents belonging to the selected category, selects the music to be listened to, or selects a certain category among the subcategories when a more detailed search is desired. As described above, it is possible to effectively search for the media content that the user wants to search by repeating the method of generating the related category based on the metadata of the media content being executed.

  FIG. 6 shows an additional step of providing a category menu in the flow of the media content search method using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  A media content search method using a variable menu according to an embodiment of the present invention is a content execution step (S602), which is a component of the media content search method using metadata, and a route category generation step (S604). Generating a subcategory (S612), further including a step of displaying a root category and providing a menu (S606) and a step of displaying a subcategory and providing a menu (S614).

  Since a category (that is, a root category and a subcategory) generated when searching for media contents using metadata is variable, a menu indicating each category is provided correspondingly.

  For example, assume that the media content corresponds to music as illustrated in FIG. A root category is generated based on the metadata of the music file being executed (S604), and a menu is provided so that one of the generated root categories can be selected (S606). That is, the menu is generated so that the user can select the category via the input unit by looking at the root category variably generated for the generated root category. When the root category is selected by user input, a subcategory is generated based on the metadata of the music file being executed within the range of the selected category (S612). Then, the method includes a step of providing a menu corresponding to the generated subcategory so that one of the generated subcategories can be selected (S614).

  This is because the category that is generated is variable, the root category that is generated may be different if the song being executed is different. The route category generated may vary depending on the selection method. The menu that can be selected by the user is variable as the generated root category changes. Sub-category generation is also variable because of the selection of the root category and the metadata information of the song being executed. Since such a process can be repeated up to the N-th subcategory, the user can be provided with a variable menu up to the N-th.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process of providing a variable menu in an MP3 player attached to a mobile phone using a media content search method using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  An embodiment for providing the media variable menu as described above will be described with reference to an MP3 player applied to a mobile phone. Assume that the song being executed as illustrated in FIG. 7 is “Hero” (722). The user searches for and listens to the hit song of the singer who is currently singing the song.

  First, while “Hero” is being executed, metadata for the music is read to generate a root category (712). The generated route category can be configured and shown as a menu so that the user can see it. For example, the route category can be appropriately arranged in the numeric key input unit (712) of the mobile phone. In FIG. 7, the title of the song “Hero” currently being executed is arranged at the center of the numeric key input section, and the root category is arranged in each numeric key around the title. Therefore, the user can select a category from the menu of the root category corresponding to the numeric key.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where the user selects the root category “singer”. By selecting the root category of singer, other songs of the singer who sang “Hero” (here, Mariah Carey) on the screen of the mobile phone are listed in the list (724). At the same time, a subcategory (714) is generated based on the metadata of the currently executed song (Hero) within the range of the root category (here, singer). For example, categories such as hit songs, the same album, past albums, recent albums, best albums, the same genre, other genres, and events are generated as subcategories.

  Therefore, the subcategories are arranged around the numeric key input unit with a singer (Mariah Carey) as the center as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to select and input a subcategory desired by the user (for example, hit song here) to the numeric key input unit. After selecting the subcategory of hit song, hit songs of the singer (Mariah Carey) who sang “Hero” are listed on the mobile phone screen (726). Then, subcategories, that is, lower categories can be generated within the range of hit songs.

  The variable menu is displayed so that the category can be selected while the category is generated as described above. When a subcategory is selected, a new subcategory corresponding to such a subcategory is generated, and a menu is displayed so that the user can select a new subcategory. Accordingly, menus that can be selected by the user by continuously generating variable categories are also variably generated and displayed.

  However, as shown in FIG. 7, the arrangement of the variable menu in the numeric key input unit corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention, and the variable category is graphically displayed in the output unit, and the touch screen format is displayed. It is also possible to receive the input by the numeric key input unit or by viewing the menu shown in the output unit. It is also possible to select a category corresponding to the variable menu by receiving the user's voice input by voice recognition or the like and receiving the user's movement input by motion recognition.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a user-defined media content search method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Various metadata can be added to the media content. As in the present invention, not only basic information metadata of media content but also additional information metadata is added, and when searching for media content, a list to be searched based on the priority of each metadata or metadata items is used. It can be varied. In addition, a method or a route that an individual user searches can be defined by adding selection and ranking to metadata to a method or route that the user often searches.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the metadata item that the user intends to use for the search is selected (S804). Although the basic metadata is generally the same for the same type of media content, even if the additional metadata is the same type of media content, the items of the metadata may be different. Therefore, all the metadata items that can be extracted are listed, and the metadata items that the user needs at the time of searching are selected (S806). When selecting a large number of metadata items as search items, it is specified to select a priority for each search item (S810). Therefore, when the search item and priority are specified, the search can be performed using the metadata of the media content with the priority and search item specified by the media content being executed (S812).

  In addition, when the media content is searched for by user definition as described above, the method may further include a step of outputting a list as a search result by the user. Further, when a plurality of media contents are output as a search result, the method may further include a step of selecting from a list by the user.

  In the user-defined media content search method according to the flowchart of FIG. 8, for example, media content corresponds to music. The search method can be as follows when the user sets as metadata for searching for three types of items of singer, hit song, and genre among the available metadata items. When the priority is set in the order of genre-singer-hit song in the metadata item selected by the user, the genre corresponding to the current song can be recognized and the song of the genre can be displayed on the output unit screen. At the same time, the singer of the corresponding genre can be listed and the user can select the singer, or can be arbitrarily selected from the singer of the corresponding genre. When the hit song that is the last search item is applied to the user-defined search, the hit songs selected in the corresponding genre can be listed as a search list.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a media content continuous search method using media content metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, a method for searching by the user is stored (S904). This can be saved as a search method when the user selects a media content being executed, and a search method frequently used can be saved while the user searches for media content. When the reproduction of the media content being executed is completed or the skip function is selected by the user, the subsequent media content is searched by the stored user search method (S908).

  Media content with the highest degree of relevance in the search list can be played back or selected at random from the search list and played back. In addition, when a plurality of media contents are output as a result of the search, the method may further include a step of the user selecting from a plurality of search lists.

  For example, if the user is listening to music “Hero”, the continuous search and playback method can be as follows. Suppose the user is listening to a song sung by the singer Mariah Carey before selecting “Hero”. The user selects a singer from the root category for the next song search, selects a hit song from the sub-category, searches for a song “Hero”, and executes it. Therefore, if the current song ends or the user wants to listen to the next song, the category selected by the user when searching for “Hero” is saved, and the subsequent song can be searched by adding the rank. it can.

  For example, if a song titled “Hero” is being executed, the singer Mariah Carey who sang “Hero” and the hit song list of Mariah Carey are listed, and the user selects from the hit song list, The first song is selected from the hit songs of Mariah Carey, which is a highly related song, or a certain song is randomly selected, and subsequent songs can be automatically executed.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can be variously modified without departing from the technical idea and essential features of the present invention. It will be understood that other specific forms may be implemented since substitutions, modifications and changes are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all aspects and not limiting.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the search apparatus of the media content by a prior art. 1 is a diagram illustrating a media content search apparatus using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for generating a category in a music file search apparatus using metadata according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of metadata of media content according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a root category generated around media content being executed in a dynamic category display device using media content metadata according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a media content search method using metadata according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process of providing a variable menu in an MP3 player attached to a mobile phone using a method for searching media content using metadata according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a user-defined media content search method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a media content continuous search method using media content metadata according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

202 Metadata storage unit 204 Media file playback unit 206 Root category generation unit 208 Subcategory generation unit 210 Output unit

Claims (16)

A media playback unit for executing media content;
A root category generating unit that generates at least one root category based on metadata added to the media content being executed; and a subcategory included in a category selected by the user from the at least one root category Including a subcategory generation unit that generates the content based on the metadata, and displays the amount of media content or the number of searches belonging to each of the root category and subcategory ,
The sub-category generation unit is a media content search apparatus using metadata of media content that repeatedly generates a sub-category of a category selected by a user based on the metadata until the end of media content search . The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media content includes a music file. The media content search device using metadata of media content according to claim 2 , further comprising: an output unit that displays a list of media content included in the category when a category is selected by the sub-category generation unit. The media content search apparatus using metadata of media content according to claim 2 , wherein the metadata includes basic metadata and additional metadata having a file name, a file size, and a file creation date. 5. The media content metadata according to claim 4 , wherein the additional metadata includes related information metadata having information for classifying media content other than the basic metadata, and related social information metadata having social popularity with respect to the content. Media content search device using data. The media content search apparatus using the media content metadata according to claim 2 , wherein the metadata can be updated by wired or wireless communication.   2. The media content metadata according to claim 1, wherein the number of media contents belonging to each of the root category and the sub-category is displayed in a node size or color, and the number of searches for the category is displayed in a connection line thickness. Media content search device used. (A) stage to perform media content,
(B) generating at least one or more root categories based on metadata added to the running media content; and (c) a category selected by the user from the at least one or more root categories. Generating a subcategory included in the metadata based on the metadata , and displaying the amount of media content or the number of searches belonging to each of the root category and the subcategory ,
The step (c) is a media content search method using metadata of media content that repeatedly generates a subcategory of a category selected by the user based on the metadata until the end of media content search . The method of claim 8 , wherein the media content includes a music file. The media content search using the media content metadata according to claim 9 , further comprising a step of displaying a list of media content included in the category when a category is selected in the step (b) or (c). Method. The method of claim 9 , wherein the steps (b) and (c) further include providing a menu for selecting a generated category. The method of claim 11 , wherein providing the menu includes displaying the generated category on an output unit. Media content searching method using the metadata of the media content according to claim 11 step including the step of displaying a category by using the keyboard or touch pad input corresponding to the generated categories that provide the menu . The media content search method using metadata of media content according to claim 9 , wherein the metadata includes basic metadata and additional metadata having a file name, a file size, and a file generation date. The media content metadata according to claim 14 , wherein the additional metadata includes related information data having information for classifying media content other than the basic metadata, and related social information data having social popularity for the content. Media content search method used. The method of claim 9 , wherein the metadata can be updated by wired or wireless communication.

Images